This invention relates to electrostatic precipitation apparatus, and in particular to a mounting system for the ionizing wires thereof.
As is known to those skilled in the art, electrostatic precipitation or air cleaning apparatus are generally installed as part of duct systems employed with forced air heating and/or cooling apparatus serving enclosures such as residences or the like. The apparatus generally includes a power pack which transforms conventional household AC voltage to a DC power source of substantial voltage. The increased DC voltage is applied to ionizer and collector sections of the apparatus for the purpose of creating electrostatic fields in the area traversed by the air stream flowing through the duct system. Generally, the ionizer section comprises a plurality of wires, each of which is disposed adjacent a plate so as to define a plurality of passages, each with an electrostatic field disposed therein. The electrostatic fields thus formed are of a magnitude that a corona discharge occurs from the wire. Particles of dirt or dust entrained in air flowing within the plurality of passages receive an electrical charge of a particular polarity to enable such dirt to be readily removed from the air stream at the collector section of the apparatus.
The ionizing wires are extremely fragile and sometimes break due to unusual vibrations or from other causes. Such broken ionizing wires must be replaced.
Very often, the mounting schemes for ionizing wires heretofore employed in electrostatic air cleaners of the prior art have been relatively complex and have made the replacement of any broken or otherwise inoperable ionizing wires a relatively complicated endeavor. Examples of mounting schemes of the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,380,993; 2,708,980; 2,867,286; 2,959,246; and 3,027,970.
Additionally, many of the mounting systems heretofore employed have included components terminating in sharp pointed elements. Such sharp pointed elements have a tendency to generate undesirable ozone.
Furthermore, it is extremely desirable that the ionizing wires be maintained under uniform tension to insure proper operation of the apparatus. Non-uniform tensioning of the wires might result in some of the wires either having slack in which case non-uniform electrostatic fields will be created; or in the alternative, excessive tension might cause the wires to break more readily.